The Inmates are Running the Asylum

"If that doesn't make HR leaders sit down and seriously reflect on the circus they've helped build over the past decade, then maybe there really is no hope."

Have you noticed how we’ve let corporations get hijacked by the younger generation? All these political and social agendas being shoved down everyone’s throats—most people never even wanted them. You know how I know? Because the moment it wasn’t convenient anymore, companies ditched their DEI agendas overnight. That tells me they never truly believed in them to begin with. They were bullied into it by the younger crowd. Just like HR has been bullied into the wellbeing agenda. Read here.

I have to hand it to the younger generation—they pulled off a masterclass in emotional blackmail. They managed to steer entire corporations straight down the rabbit hole, armed with nothing more than slogans and a guilt trip. And honestly, it all sounded great. MORE EMPATHY. MORE INCLUSION. MORE PURPOSE. MORE WELLBEING. Who could argue with that? But somewhere along the way, empathy became a performance, not a principle. It stopped being about people and started being about optics. The moment things got tough, companies dropped the act—because it was never really about belief or principles, it was about appeasement that cost billions. What a great business strategy!

Just a few years ago, almost overnight, the market was flooded with wellbeing, DEI, and other “experts” offering quick-fix solutions. Nobody paused to ask where these so-called experts came from all of a sudden especially when, just a few years ago, DEI and corporate wellbeing weren’t even part of our vocabulary. Why would they be? We were too busy ticking diversity boxes by hiring for genitals, sexual orientation or colors instead of competence, or jumping on the wellbeing bandwagon by installing sleep pods just to hit our forced KPIs and secure our bonuses. Yes, bonuses—for bowing to the ever-growing demands of the delusional corporate kids. Another brilliant business strategy, right?

We handed the power to overnight gurus who made millions—some, billions—off our collective stupidity. The younger generation cheered at first, but satisfaction or good change was never the goal; they kept demanding more.

Meanwhile, senior leaders - who supposed to lead but all they did was following crazy ides - bent over backwards to accommodate every new trend: slides, motivational speakers, organic apples in the kitchen, gym memberships, hiring quotas, and even crafting policies about who could use which bathrooms. Now, imagine being in HR today, awkwardly backpedaling on your once-celebrated transgender policy—quietly issuing a correction that people should use facilities based on biological sex, not self-identified gender. If that doesn't make HR leaders sit down and seriously reflect on the circus they've helped build over the past decade, then maybe there really is no hope.

But let’s just go back for a moment to the empathy part. People often claim that the younger generation is highly empathetic—but where is the evidence for that?
The foundation of empathy is in-person social interaction, something many young people admittedly have largely skipped and often dismiss as unnecessary. So how exactly did we arrive at the conclusion that they are overflowing with empathy when they don’t have the foundation to develop it?

- Was it because they protest, vandalize cities or join online outrage mobs and repost hashtags about issues happening thousands of miles away—yet will walk past someone being verbally harassed or assaulted on the street without so much as a glance?

- Was it because they identify as social justice warriors, passionately offended on behalf of everyone, while ignoring the real people in their lives who could use some compassion? Like the elderly neighbor who needs help with groceries. Or the mother on a plane who simply wants to sit next to her toddler but gets refused a seat swap.

Watch what a social justice warriors they really are:

- Is it empathy when they flood comment sections with platitudes about kindness and inclusion, but then ruthlessly bully anyone who expresses a dissenting opinion?

- Is it empathy when they donate to trendy causes for the sake of a social media screenshot, but wouldn't give five minutes of their time to volunteer at a local shelter?

- Is it when they publicly sob in front of cameras and post tearful videos about world tragedies they’ve never taken any meaningful action on—never donated, never volunteered, never even educated themselves beyond a viral clip—but act as if emotional display is equivalent to making a difference?

- Is it when they proudly wear the badge of environmentalism, but abandon every green principle the moment it threatens their comfort or costs them more—still buying fast fashion and ordering food everyday all while preaching sustainability from the latest iPhone they change at every new launch? They demand companies go green, but won’t pay 50 cents more for an eco-friendly product unless it’s Instagrammable.

- Or maybe it’s when they drop long-time friends and distance themselves from family at the first sign of discomfort, disagreement, or inconvenience—calling it “protecting their peace” while leaving others in emotional freefall with no warning or explanation.

This isn’t empathy. It’s narcissism. It’s performance. It’s virtue signaling at Olympic levels—attention-seeking disguised as activism. Empathy is quiet. It’s selfless. It's often inconvenient. It often goes unnoticed. So no, they are not highly empathetic. How could they be, when they lack the very foundation empathy is built on—genuine, consistent human connection?

These are the people who took over major corporations? How did we go along with this nonsense for so long? Was there really not a single company with the courage to stand up and say, "No, we're not doing this"?

These kids exposed the corporate incompetence—and we still don’t have the guts to admit it. They’re running the show while everyone else, including the board, just nods along.

The inmates are running the asylum—or, as I like to say, companies are now negotiating with little terrorists. Why? Because these kids already ran the households they grew up in. They mastered the art of manipulating or terrorising those around them to get what they wanted. Even governments played a role, stripping away parental authority and leaving parents ruled by their own children. We created societies in the West that are founded on child-led parenting households where parents do as the kinds wish. Do we wonder why they were so successful in bullying corporations AND governments into their nonsenses? We let them. We raised them to be like that.

But companies are waking up. DEI has fallen and I predict that the wellbeing nonsense as it is today, will face the same faith. “Corporate America’s long-running war for talent sounds more like a war on the talent these days” organisations openly declaring that we are all replaceable.

The truth is, change is necessary—but not in the way it's been imposed on everyone. Unfortunately, the ongoing struggle between employers and employees often feels like a never-ending battle, driven by a zero-sum mindset. As long as we cling to that mentality, progress will remain out of reach. But the moment we let go of it, real collaboration becomes possible—without the chaos and theatrics fueled by conflicting agendas.

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Don't Work Hard for Others

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Related article: Companies Must Stop Being Glorified Activists

https://www.thestrengthscompany.com/post/companies-must-stop-being-glorified-activists